A Force to Die for
by Steven H
Summary: 3 years after everyone over sixteen has been either killed or "zombified", a group of children has begun to undertake its leader's plan to take over the surrounding area, Redding, CA, and if all goes well, beyond.


As he started to tell his inferiors to pitch their tent outside Home Depot, Ulai heard the distinct call of the impaler's battlehorns. "Prepare for battle!" He screamed at his Conturbernia (Tent Group). As the legionaries fresh out of training started the opening phase of the attack, the Prime and Veteran legionaries started getting their equipment. Ulai grabbed his Main weapon, a Remington 870, and his secondary, a Cold Steel Jungle Machete. As Ulai watched the Recruits using the hit and run tactics they'd been taught in basic training, he realized it was time for the prime legionaries to attack. Ulai was supposed to lead this wave, and since the punishment for failure was crucifixion, he really had no choice but to lead the attack. "Attack!" Ulai screamed at the top of his lungs, as his forces toppled over the Impaler's defenses. The attack lasted about five minutes. The Impalers were trying to filter out their best soldiers from the Target store they'd been stationed in, but it was futile. Resistance was futile, as Ulai had been taught in his basic training. Ulai started to work himself up into a rage, and then he saw him. He saw the leader of the Impalers, and shot his Mossberg at him. He obviously hit his target, because his head started to drip blood and drop hunks of flesh. Ulai then signaled for the Recruits to retreat, and sent the Veterans over to finish off the remaining soldiers. This left 8 boys who were old enough to become legionaries, 4 boys who would be trained by the Legion's child instructor Dakota, and 2 women who would be used as slaves and breeders. "Ulai!" someone screamed. Ulai instinctively drew his blade, ready to be challenged. However, he soon found he wouldn't need his blade out, as it was his friend and superior, Dennis. Dennis was rather famous because he was their leader, Caesar's, brother. He was also one of the few people to not have their name changed. Even Supicio, formerly Douglas, the leader of Caesar's Praetorian Guard, wasn't beyond that. "Ulai, we need you at the Sports LTD Fortress. We've lost a Conturbernia in a raid and we need your Conturbernia immediately. Its orders from Centurion Gaius, so don't take long. You have until 6:00 PM." "What should I tell my Centurion?" Ulai asked, all the while a series of questions filling his mind.

"Get me my Conturbernia now!" Ulai screamed at a Recruit Decanus, Who Ulai was one rank above. The Recruit looked scared out of his mind, and left in a hurry. "Well, now that the easy part has been dealt with, time to talk with Sergis." Sergis was the Centurion for Ulai's Centuri, and he was known to be one of the more understanding Centurions, although kind he most definitely was not. "Well, if that weasel Gaius insists that we send your Conturbernia to Sports LTD, I suppose we must. However Ulai, don't become a slave to that man. He is one of the vilest pieces of filth on this Earth. Understood?" "Yes sir!" Ulai yelled with enthusiasm at the man who had quickly become one of his favorite Centurions he had served with. Ulai had served with three Centurions, Sergis, Severus, and Aurelius. Sergis had by far been the friendliest, given that he had been raised in the legion for the majority of his life and actually knew and cared about how all the legionaries were feeling. However, a great tactician he was not. As such, he was commonly seen on the front lines with the Veteran legionaries. He also was one of the very few high ranking soldiers to be archers as well as effective in melee combat, making him a very valuable asset.

After he left Sergis's tent, Ulai felt a sense of shock drift over him. Had he really been the one to kill Orin, leader of the Impalers? If he had been, then he surely would be promoted soon. He was a Prime Decanus right now, but if he got promoted to Veteran Decanus he'd be at the same rank as Dennis, which was a goal he'd had for a while now. This would also mean that he'd be put into the last attacking wave of legionaries, and he'd get better gear. All around it would just be better, less dangerous. Ulai gathered his Conturbernia, and with that they geared up for travel and left. They all had backpacks made for backpacking, as the Legion held all of the sports stores in the area now thanks to Sergis's Centuri. They all had packed away their guns and were using melee weapons, as even now it was getting harder to find ammunition for their guns. As they crossed the corner of the Home Depot, they found a pack of three stray dogs, which they took to Sergis for him to have someone take to Sportsman's Warehouse, where Caesar resided, tomorrow. On that note they left with no further interruptions, and got to Sports LTD at roughly 5:30 PM, which of course meant they blundered in looking like idiots as everyone was eating. "Well, look who decided to show up, killer of Orin, beater of the Impalers. Oh, at least mama didn't need to remind him to pack his Conturbernia too." Gaius stated, making Ulai's face grow red with embarrassment and rage.

After being interviewed by Gaius, Ulai's Conturbernia was deemed worthy to serve under the self-proclaimed "Noble Centurion Gaius". This meant that they'd get to be bossed around by him for an indefinite amount of time. The pro of this situation was that Ulai was most likely going to be promoted after a Veteran Conturbernia got transferred, thus giving him and his Conturbernia a free shot to be promoted. After Ulai's men set up their tent, they had one of their freeze dried meals and went to sleep. Some of the older legionaries stayed up and told each other stories of when they were being trained, and Ulai started to remember how he had come from slave to soldier.

Ulai had just entered the presence of Caesar, which was very rare for a slave or a much more fitting title for Ulai, a gladiator. All he did was fight in the Arena, and every time they put him up against someone he killed them. They'd once sent in an Impaler and made him fight Ulai, The Impaler with a six foot long sharpened wooden stake, and Ulai with just his fists. The stake had grazed Ulai's flesh, cutting him mostly on his right arm. Then the Impaler had stabbed Ulai in the bend of his left arm, which had been a huge mistake for him. Ulai pulled the stake out, grabbed the end of it, and used it to pull his opponent closer towards him. As the Impaler had been beating him from farther away, Ulai did the same to him in closer quarters. He grabbed the boy's arm and kneed the elbow, satisfied as he heard a sharp crunching sound. He then proceeded to kick the boy in the stomach, forcing him to fall onto the ground. Ulai proceeded to stomp on the boy's kneecaps, listening intently as the bones snapped in two. The Impaler was not done though, as he feebly crawled toward the stake he had been so fond of. Ulai laughed, only stopping as the boy started to try and stab Ulai with it, failing miserably. Ulai proceeded to grab the spear, ripping it out of the man's grip, and stabbing the blunt part of the spear through the thin aluminum wall of the Arena, and impaling the Impaler through the stomach with his own weapon, effectively immobilizing him. "So" declared Caesar, waking Ulai up from remembrance "This is the slave that has been the cause of so much carnage and entertainment?" questioned Caesar, bidding any of his inferiors to say different. "For your much applauded entertainment, you shall be promoted to the rank of Recruit legionary, slave. Speaking of which, what is your name?" Ulai took his time to answer, and after that he'd been sent out to be trained at the Big Five Fortress. The training took 4 months, and after that Ulai quickly was promoted again and again until now, which he had suspicions that he'd be promoted soon.


End file.
